


Hotter Than Hell

by magnusragnor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Human AU, M/M, drummer!alec, the other relationships are mostly just mentioned tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 23:33:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10774785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnusragnor/pseuds/magnusragnor
Summary: The man blinks, surprise clear on his face. He gapes for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times, as if deciding what to say. “The Lightwoods? That’s our band name. I just - really?”“Never heard of it,” Magnus says, looking more interested in his drink. “Pity.”





	Hotter Than Hell

**Author's Note:**

> this is the most spur of the moment fics ever go blame [charley](http://lightwoodlesbians.tumblr.com) for this. (but she also beta'ed this so love ya ur my fave xoxo) 
> 
> also this is for [shaumonday](https://shadowhuntersaumondays.tumblr.com) week 7 performer au!! 
> 
> title is from a Dua Lipa song ((: 
> 
> i hope you all enjoy!!

Pandemonium is quiet just before opening, the empty dance floor a stark contrast from what it looks like at the end of the night. The bartender hasn’t even arrived yet, just a few cleaners to make sure Pandemonium is spotless before the onslaught of people that burst in at 11 PM, ready to get wasted and dance the night away.

Magnus hears his phone ring and takes it out of his pocket, swirling the stirrer around his cocktail as he answers the call. 

“Bane.”

“Magnus, I’m running a few minutes late. The traffic on the highway is a fucking nightmare,” Raphael says, his voice laced with irritation. Magnus hums in response, waiting for him to continue. “The band I booked for the night should be there in ten minutes to set up and do sound check. Just show them where to put their stuff and tell them I’ll be there soon.”

“You know, when I hired you as my right hand man, I didn’t think you’d be so bossy,” Magnus teases softly, smiling at the huff on the other line. 

“Ha, very funny. I’ll be there soon,” Raphael replies, and Magnus can practically picture the eye roll that comes with it as the line goes dead.

Putting his phone back in the pocket of his tight black jeans, the ones that make his ass look wonderful, thank you very much, Magnus takes a sip of the cocktail he was making, enjoying the sweet taste on his tongue. 

Magnus isn’t particularly fond of the bands Raphael tends to pick out. Most of them are either rude, talentless, or weird, and sometimes they’re a combination of all three. 

One of the most recent bands to play was called Project Massive Evil, which was a pretty fitting name for a duo of two upper class white men who managed to insult both Magnus and Raphael’s sexualities and get in two bar fights - each - before the night was over. 

The worst of the worst was a band called Hotel Dumort, with a lead singer named Camille. She came in, fooling everyone with her sweet smiles and her shameless flirting, and Magnus had just started to _like_ her when she decided to do three shows in a row completely wasted. She ended up vomiting on a lot of people and heckling the audience, and in the end she and Magnus had had a two-hour long fight in his office. 

The only good band Raphael has managed to pick in the last few months is called Sea Vegetable Conspiracy, with Simon Lewis as their frontman. Magnus has a soft spot for the sweet and dorky college kid, who doesn’t give Magnus a hard time like the other band members do. The only reason Pandemonium needed to book someone new this Friday was because Simon was bedridden with a nasty flu.

So, needless to say, Magnus isn’t excited to meet the next band Raphael picked out, who Raphael claims is actually really good. To be frank, Magnus hasn’t even bothered Googling them. 

After another few minutes of Magnus lounging by the bar, sipping on his cocktail and scrolling through his Instagram feed, a large group comes into the club. Magnus looks up, eyeing the people carrying large sets of equipment. He watches, mostly unbothered - he’s proud of the security here. He only hires the best of the best, and it’s the reason Pandemonium has earned the title as one of the best nightclubs in New York City. 

The crew starts unloading the equipment, and Magnus is too busy watching them to notice the man approaching him before said man is clearing his throat. Magnus glances over to the guy and his eyebrows raise slightly, instantly impressed. The tall man in front of him is _divine_. He has dark messy hair, a strong jaw, and perfectly pouty pink lips. 

Magnus wants to climb him like a tree. 

“Sorry, darling,” Magnus says, leaning forward on his elbows and holding the stem of the cocktail glass between his fingers, playing with it gently. “The club doesn’t open for another two hours, but if you come back later I’m sure I can get you into the VIP area.”

Magnus watches the other man’s eyebrows furrow. “I, uh - came early to set up,” the man says, crossing his arms over his chest, still looking fairly lost. “Are you Raphael?” 

_Of course_ , Magnus thinks, this guy’s a part of the goddamn band. Magnus instantly retreats, although not before giving himself a second to truly appreciate the way the man’s biceps are on display in his tight grey v-neck. Magnus shakes his head, taking a sip of his drink. 

“I’m afraid not. He’ll be here in a short while. Make yourself comfortable,” Magnus says, his words lacking any sort of real warmth and welcoming tone. Magnus grabs his phone and cocktail and starts walking away, feeling a little bit bitter about how the gorgeous man is probably just as stuck up as every other band member he’s met. Just his luck. 

“Do you - do you not know who I am?” the man says, just as Magnus turns his back to him. Magnus spins in one swift movement, a fake smile on his face.

“I know this may be a little surprising to hear, but not everyone knows who you are,” Magnus says. 

The man blinks, surprise clear on his face. He gapes for a moment, opening and closing his mouth a few times, as if deciding what to say. “The Lightwoods? That’s our band name. I just - really?” 

“Never heard of it,” Magnus says, looking more interested in his drink. “Pity.”

“You’re the one who hired us,” the man reminds Magnus, tone surprisingly level. Magnus is a little taken aback by how calm the man is, despite the obvious cold shoulder Magnus is giving him. Other male band members tend to get riled up when Magnus dares harm their delicate ego. 

“Actually, my manager hired you,” Magnus replies easily, tilting his head to the side. “Now, don’t you have a set to prepare for?”

The other man huffs in exasperation and walks away, his shoulders tense. Magnus lets himself feel a little pleased as he makes his way into his office on the second floor of the club. 

Magnus spends another half hour answering e-mails and making a few necessary phone calls before there’s a knock on his office door. He looks up, spotting Maia and shooting her a friendly smile. Maia has been working in Pandemonium for two years now, and Magnus loves her. He treats her like family, because she practically is. 

Maia walks into the office and peels off her denim jacket, tossing it on the brown leather couch in the corner of Magnus’ office. She’s the only one allowed to keep her things in his office, other than Raphael. 

“I heard the traffic was awful. Raphael is still stuck on the highway,” Magnus says conversationally, glancing one more time at his inbox before shutting his laptop and leaning back in his chair. 

“You heard right. Fuckin’ nightmare,” Maia says, checking her phone before tossing it back in her bag and sitting down on the couch. “I saw the Lightwoods on the way in. I still can’t believe you guys managed to book them.” 

Magnus rolls his eyes instantly. “I spoke to one of their members. He was a pain in my ass, and not the good kind.” 

Maia stares at him for a moment, shaking her head. “One of the Lightwoods was a jerk? The Lightwoods, aka the revolutionary band of the 21st century, New York’s sweethearts, gave you a hard time?” 

“Come on, Maia, you can’t honestly believe they’re all nice. They’re a band, they’re used to putting up a front,” Magnus says, watching Maia roll her eyes and mutter something under her breath about dumb manipulative singers.

“Who was the guy? Blonde or brunette?” Maia asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Brunette,” Magnus shoots back. Maia actually barks out a laugh. 

“Alec? Alexander Lightwood was a jerk to you? You’re impossible, Magnus, oh my God. The guy is a huge fucking softie under that rough exterior. He couldn’t hurt a fly,” Maia replies. 

“How do you know them so well?” Magnus asks. 

“One could say I’m a fan,” Maia says, suddenly pretending to be very interested in her manicure. “The lead singer of the group is fucking gorgeous. Simon mostly fills me in - he’s dating the guitarist, the blonde one. They’ve been a thing for a few months now.”

“Anyway,” she continues, “they’re all sweet. They took a bunch of photos with me a minute ago and didn’t hesitate. Plus, they’re a great LGBT rep - they’re all strong advocates for the community and donate a lot of their proceeds to LGBT youth charities.”

Magnus absorbs the information for a minute, playing with one of his necklaces. 

Maia gives him a look of exasperation. “Magnus, their first album went number one in a couple of _hours_. You own a club and you haven’t heard _any_ of their singles?”

“You know how I feel about bands and their members,” Magnus says. 

“You like Simon,” Maia points out.

Magnus pouts. “He’s an _exception_.”

“Well, maybe they could be too. You know how I feel about this band and one of their members in particular - if I play my cards right maybe I can score her number by the end of the night,” Maia says, winking at Magnus. Magnus shakes his head fondly. Maia ends up with at least a dozen numbers when her bartending shifts end, but it’s been a long time since he’s seen her actually want to pursue someone. 

“We’ll see how they do tonight, but I’m not getting my hopes up,” Magnus says, getting up from his seat and offering a hand to Maia, which she takes gratefully. 

“Prepare to be amazed, Magnus Bane,” she teases softly, using their joined hands to get up off the couch. 

As they make their way to the main section of the club, they spot Raphael talking to one of the security guards. When Raphael spots them, he dismisses the guard and walks over to the two, shaking his head. 

“I despise New York City traffic,” he says. “Everything is set, though. We’re ready to open in ten minutes.”

Maia excuses herself to the bar to get ready for the shift as Magnus nods. 

“Let the fun begin.” 

____

Within a matter of hours, Pandemonium is alight with life and filled to the brim with people. There’s even a line outside; apparently dozens of people are waiting to see if they can get in before The Lightwoods perform. Magnus has been making his way through the club, greeting some regulars and some friends, but it’s hard to miss the whispers of excitement The Lightwoods have created. 

Magnus takes a seat at the bar a few minutes before their set is supposed to start, and orders a drink from Maia who delivers it to him with a wink. The music is loud and the atmosphere is vibrant and carefree. Magnus loves it. He built Pandemonium from the ground up, working long days and even longer nights to make sure Pandemonium would have the best alcohol, the best service, and the best location. 

His eyes scan the crowd just as the strobe lights dim down and the crowd goes wild. A single guitar chord echoes through the the club, and the screaming intensifies. The anticipation is fantastic, and Magnus inwardly commends them on being able to draw in their audience. Suddenly, the drums start playing and the lights shift, the spotlights illuminating the stage. The melody comes together beautifully, and a deep and silky voice fills the air. 

Their music is unique. It’s a mix of rock with a soulful edge, and the instrumentals are incredible, Magnus thinks as he watches the fans go wild for the band. The lead singer is stunning, her long raven hair swaying as she dances to the music skillfully, and honestly, Magnus can’t blame Maia for having a crush on her. Next to her is a blonde male, who Magnus recalls is dating Simon, and his guitar skills are clearly impressive. Magnus can picture pre-teens girls hanging photos of him on their walls. 

But the drummer, the same man who Magnus was cold and standoffish too, is in his own zone. He’s already sweating, probably from the heat of the lights, but he looks at ease. There’s no tension on his body as he drowns in the music he’s playing, and the delivery makes Magnus’ knees go a little weak. The drummer - Alec, Magnus’ mind quickly corrects - is quite a sight, and Magnus is overwhelmed with how free Alec looks in this moment. 

Their set lasts an exact hour, but when the crowd demands an encore they don’t refuse, and Magnus finds himself cheering for them as well when they finally bid farewell to the crowd. The regular DJ starts up again and the people are back to dancing and grinding in heaps of sweaty bodies, but Magnus can’t seem to clear his mind of a certain member of The Lightwoods. 

Magnus leaves Maia a generous tip, despite the fact that he pays her, and is rewarded with a bright smile from her. 

He makes his way over to the VIP area where Raphael is talking to two investors. As much as Magnus and Raphael bicker like an old married couple, Magnus can easily admit that Raphael has done a lot for Pandemonium, and Magnus is extremely lucky to know him. 

Magnus needs to make an appearance, however, so he slides next to Raphael and mingles with the two investors for a few minutes before they both excuse themselves. Raphael and Magnus watch them leave for a moment before Raphael turns to him, gesturing to the back room and starting to walk there, Magnus following him. 

The back room is quite large, and is intended to be a relaxation area for bands and DJs as well as staff. As Raphael and Magnus enter, Magnus notices two waiters about to start the late night shift, as well as The Lightwoods sitting on one of the couches, all quietly chatting. They all spot Magnus and Raphael instantly and get up. 

“Lightwoods,” Raphael says, nodding at them. “This is Magnus Bane. He owns Pandemonium.”

“Thank you all for being here,” Magnus says, as all the Lightwood siblings turn to look at him. “Everyone loves your music, as did I.” 

“I’m Izzy,” the lead singers says as she steps forward, offering her hand. Magnus takes it with a smile that she matches. “It was awesome playing here. We haven’t had a gig like this in a long time. Plus, the club is gorgeous.”

Magnus accepts the compliment gratefully as the blonde guy offers his hand next. 

“I’m Jace. Favorite of the Lightwood siblings. Simon told me how much he loves this place, and I can see why. Thanks for having us.” 

Magnus shakes his hand, nodding slightly and turning to Alec. 

“Alec,” is all he says, and Magnus shakes his hand as well, noticing the big hands and strong grip he has. 

“You were all incredible. If you ever want to perform here again, please feel free to give Raphael a call,” Magnus says politely. The three of them nod. Magnus notices Alec looking at the ground and tries not to feel too disappointed - Magnus was fairly rude to him. 

“Well, feel free to help yourselves to drinks. If there’s anything we could do for you, let us know,” Raphael says, his tone professional. 

“I’m gonna go to the bar,” Izzy says, smiling at them all and grabbing Jace by the elbow. “Join me, please. So I don’t get mauled by fans.”

“I _wonder_ why you want to go to the bar so bad,” Jace teases, and Izzy sticks her tongue out at him. Magnus smiles at the obvious sibling dynamic, and watches as Izzy drags Jace out of the room and into the club. 

“If you both would excuse me, I’m gonna see if I can find Ragnor,” Raphael says, nodding at Magnus and Alec before grabbing a bottle of water from the snacks table near the door and walking out. 

Magnus suddenly feels a little out of place and glances towards Alec, who is still looking everywhere except at him. Magnus sighs, lacing his fingers together in front of him. 

“I think you deserve an apology,” Magnus says, watching Alec’s head snap up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “It was wrong of me to assume you were rude because of the profession you chose. I’m sorry. If it helps, I did think your music was fantastic.”

“Apology accepted,” Alec replies, huffing out a small laugh. “Thank you. The whole band was Jace’s idea. But, yeah, thank you. I’m sorry if I came off a certain way.” 

Magnus shakes his head, chewing on his lip as he smiles. “He was great, and your sister’s voice is very beautiful. You’re very talented as well.”

“You’re gonna give me a big head,” Alec replies, his smile a little brighter but just as genuine. Magnus looks at him and studies his hazel eyes for a moment before taking a leap of faith. 

“Do you want to get out of here? My office upstairs is much more private,” Magnus offers. Alec licks his lips for just a moment, a soft blush dusting his cheeks. 

“I’d like that.” Alec’s eyes are big and bright, and they tug at Magnus’ heartstrings in such a lovely way. 

Magnus nods, gesturing for Alec to follow him as they walk out the door and through the mass of people. They stop by the bar first, where Magnus gets them two fancy cocktails, and when Alec takes a sip and smiles brightly, Magnus stomach does a little victory flip. They make their way upstairs and into Magnus’ office. 

The burgundy walls of the office are deep and rich, and the general interior design of the room is something Magnus worked hard on. Alec takes a second to look around, sipping on his drink. 

“Your office is really nice,” Alec says, turning all his attention to Magnus. 

Magnus smiles, leaning back on the wall behind his desk. “Thank you, I like to think I have a keen eye for decorating,” he says. 

Alec gives him a lopsided grin, tucking his free hand in the pocket of his dark jeans. “How long have you owned this place?” he asks conversationally. 

“It’ll be five years in November.” Magnus replies. Alec nods, and after a moment, Magnus speaks again. “So, tell me a little bit about yourself.”

“There isn’t much to tell,” Alec says, crossing the room to stand in front of Magnus and lean casually on the desk behind him. “I was born in Brooklyn, and went to college to become a lawyer. Izzy’s younger than me, and she was studying music. There was a battle of the bands competition that she wanted to enter, and last minute her band members ditched her to form their own group. Jace and I couldn’t stand to see her so defeated, so we put our instrumental skills to use and offered to help. Needless to say, we won the competition and one thing led to another and out came our first album. Now we’re recording our second one, and we thought Brooklyn would be a great place for it, so we can be close to our hometown and our little brother.”

“That’s all fascinating, Alexander, and a touching story, but I asked about you, not the band.” Magnus says, smiling. Alec’s face flushes again, a deeper red this time as he fidgets with the hem of his t-shirt. 

“Sorry, I guess I’m not used to talking about myself.” Alec looks almost a little shy. Magnus tries very hard not to find it endearing. 

“That’s a shame,” Magnus takes a small sip of his drink, swirling it around. “I would love to get to know you.” 

“Actually, if I recall, you wanted nothing to do with me when I first met you,” Alec replies, but his voice is free from malice, and is instead playful and teasing. Magnus still feels a little bad. 

“I apologize again for that. I’ve had some bad experiences with band members, though that’s no excuse to treat you poorly,” Magnus says, frowning a little. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Alec tips his chin up a little. “You’re actually kind of hot when you’re riled up.” 

Magnus’ eyes twinkle in delight. “Are you flirting with me, Alexander?” 

“I’m trying to,” Alec replies, licking his lips again. “For the record, I wouldn’t mind telling you all about myself and learning more about you. How about we do it over dinner?”

Magnus stands up straight, taking a smaller step to be a little closer to Alec. 

“That sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> come be friends w me on [tumblr](https://magnusragnor.tumblr.com)!!


End file.
